The present invention relates generally to devices for enhancing cable management in a telecommunications system. More particularly, the present invention relates to cable management brackets for use in telecommunications systems.
Telecommunications systems commonly include cables (e.g., fiber optic cables or copper twisted pair cables) for interconnecting pieces of telecommunications equipment. For example, in a typical telephone carrier system servicing residential and/or businesses, cables are used to couple components such as an MDF (main distribution frame), a POTS (plain old telephone service) splitter for separating voice and data signals and a DSLAM (digital subscriber line access multiplexer). A telephone carrier""s central office commonly includes multiple rows of telecommunications racks. Each rack typically holds a variety of different pieces of telecommunications equipment. Often thousands of cables are used to interconnect the various pieces of telecommunications equipment mounted on the racks.
Because of the large number of cables present at a location such as a telephone carrier""s central office, cable management is crucial. Cable management involves efficiently routing cables to minimize the space occupied by such cables. Cable management also involves routing cables in an orderly manner so as to reduce the likelihood of xe2x80x9cspaghettixe2x80x9d (i.e., tangling of cables). Ease of cabling is also a factor related to effective cable management.
In routing cables, it is also desirable to prevent cables from being excessively bent. This is particularly true for fiber optic cables as well as copper cables adapted for transmitting data (i.e., Category 5 cables). If such cables are bent beyond certain predefined radius limits (e.g., four times the radius of the cable for Category 5 cable), signal degradation can possibly occur.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a cable management structure for a telecommunications rack. The structure includes an elongated member having a length sized to extend across a width of the rack. A plurality of fingers project outwardly from the elongated member. The fingers are spaced apart along the length of the elongated member. Gaps sized to receive telecommunications cables are defined between the fingers. Bend radius limiters are preferably connected to the fingers to prevent cables passing through the gaps from being excessively bent.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a telecommunications system including a rack defining a bay in which are mounted one or more pieces of telecommunications equipment. The system also includes a cable management structure connected to the rack. The cable management bracket extends across a width of the bay of the rack and is aligned in a generally horizontal orientation. The cable management structure includes a plurality of fingers that project outwardly from the rack. The fingers define a plurality of gaps spaced across the width of the bay. The gaps are sized to receive cables connected to the piece of telecommunications equipment. The fingers include bend radius limiters for preventing the cables from being kinked.
In use of the system, cables are routed vertically upwardly or downwardly from the piece of telecommunications equipment to the cable management structure. At the cable management structure, the cables are routed through the gaps defined between the fingers of the cable management structure. At the cable management structure, the cables are bent around the radius limiters to smoothly transition the cables from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation. After being bent around the radius limiters, the cables are routed generally horizontally across the width of the bay to a side of the rack. At the side of the rack, the cables are routed either upwardly or downwardly along a channel defined at the side of the rack.
A variety of advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.